Harriet Cornelius Ogden, the Last Born to Gilbert Ogden and Mary Hazen 52 Ancestors 52 Weeks

2^nd Great Grandmother

Harriet Cornelius (Ogden) Clark

1842-1912

 2nd Great Grandmother Harriet Cornelius Ogden was the youngest and 15^th child of Gilbert Ogden and Mary Hazen. She was born in Orange County, New York October 16, 1842. Parents Gilbert Ogden and Mary Hazen married and raised the children in the towns of Wallkill, Minisink and Mount Hope until a few years after Harriet’s birth when Gilbert moved the family across the New York/New Jersey border to Wantage, Sussex County, New Jersey. You can read more about Gilbert and Mary in an earlier post titled Gilbert, Mary and the War of 1812  published Feb. 27, 2014.

Harriet was only 6 years old when her father passed away June 6, 1848. Four of her siblings had married by this time leaving Mary (Hazen) Ogden with 11 children ranging in age from 6 to 25 years of age. Mary took the children back to New York. The older sisters married while the older brothers found work.

When the 1850 federal census was enumerated, Mary Ogden was living in Mamakating, Sullivan County, New York. Sullivan County is north of Orange County. Eight year old Harriet was with her mother along with her 11 year old sister Mary Jane, and brothers, Andrew, Joseph and Gilbert.

By June 15, 1855, Harriet, her mother and twin brothers Andrew and Asa were residing in Wallkill with Harriet’s 26 year old brother, Seth Ogden. Harriet’s recently widowed sister, Melinda Crane, was also in the home with her two children. So far I haven’t been able to find Harriet and her mother in the 1860 federal census.

On July 3, 1861 Harriet married Jeremiah B. Clark in Westtown, Orange County, New York. Jeremiah’s parents were William Parkinson Clark and Charity Kimber from the town of Wawayanda, New York. Please see my earlier post WEDDING WEDNESDAY Jeremiah and Harriet Marry July 3, 1861 for details.

Jeremiah and Harriet made their home in Wawayanda where their first daughter, Frances E., was born in 1864.  Four more children—David Pullis, Minnie I. and twins Asa Ryerson and Franklin Emerson were all born in Wawayanda. Their youngest daughters Lillian and Grace were born in Westtown, New York in 1873 and 1875. During these years Jeremiah worked as a butcher.

Harriet and Jeremiah were living in Greenville, Orange County, New York June 10, 1875. Within 5 years Jeremiah moved the family to Goshen, New York where he would eventually have his own butcher shop known as the J. B. Clark Meat Market on West Main Street. Their children married and they became grandparents in Goshen.

It must have been heartbreaking when her daughters Minnie and Grace died leaving six motherless children between them. Jeremiah and Harriet helped care for the grandchildren along with other relatives.

Jeremiah became ill and died within a few months’ time on August 13, 1908 (cause of death was tuberculosis). Harriet was then 65 years old and went to live with her daughter Lillian Hewitt in Middletown, New York.

While visiting my grandmother, Viola Lillian Wilson, in Hartford, Connecticut Harriet died December 19, 1912 as a result of heart disease. Her death certificate is featured in my June 28, 2014 post SYMPATHY SATURDAY Grandmother Harriet Died Visiting Granddaughter.  She was brought home and buried beside Jeremiah in the Wallkill Cemetery.